Thursday, June 30, 2011

Five For the Beach Bag

With the Fourth of July weekend- and the entire summer- on the horizon, I thought now would be as good a time as any to pass along some summer reading recommendations.

All of these books are available in paperback now so feel free to relax, bend back the covers and get sand between the pages. But don't do that if it's a library book!

Enjoy and happy summer!

My picks:

The Swimming Pool, by Holly LeCraw, a smart and steamy story of sex and murder set in the beaches and backyards of Cape Cod;

The Passage, by Justin Cronin, a post-apocalyptic literary thriller about a little girl set to save the world. And uou should read The Passage now because its sequel (the first of two sequels) is coming out next year and it's a big book so better to play catch-up now!

Beautiful Maria of My Soul, by Oscar Hijuelos, the very racy story of the woman who inspired the musicians in Hijuelos's hit novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love. Beautiful Maria is erotic, lively and a great time, starring a winning woman you won't soon forget.

French Leave, by Anna Gavalda, a frothy amusement about siblings who get together for- and then ditch- a friend's wedding (review coming soon). It's a quick read from the reliable Europa Editions sure to bring a smile to your face.

The Lost City of Z, by David Grann, a wonderfully entertaining true story of an intrepid Amazonian explorer who disappeared mysteriously, and the people who set out to find him. You'll be entertained, you'll count your blessings and feel automatically cooler and more comfortable wherever you are!

Any of these would be great choices for the thoughtful reader looking for some serious fun in his or her armchair, hammock or poolside deck.

Support a great indie bookstore- buy from Powell's. I'm a Powell's partner and receive a small commission on sales.

The Lost City of Z is one of those books that I keep looking at in the library and bookstore, drawn to it for reasons I can't explain. Know that I will read it eventually. It keeps putting itself in my face. :)

Oh how I wish I were going to the beach this weekend! My body is going to disintegrate if I don't get near some salt water soon. I only have The Lost City of Z on my bookshelves, but that is all the poking I needed to pack it in my bag.

I bought The Passage to read last year while I was on my week long vacation. Sadly, I didn't end up reading it and it still is sitting on my shelf waiting for me. I hope you enjoy it. The reviews are a bit mixed but I will still plan to read it and need to before the next in the series comes out.